


Lovebombed

by FangsScalesSkin



Category: Half-Life VR But The AI Is Self Aware
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Game, Cuddling & Snuggling, Fluff, Kissing, Love Potion/Spell, M/M, Movie Night, T rating for language and some suggestive lines
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-28
Updated: 2020-08-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:54:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26157613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FangsScalesSkin/pseuds/FangsScalesSkin
Summary: "Nasty, nasty man, Gordon Nastyman shouldn't put that in his mouth. You lick up random stuff all the time, bro? Taste testing the walls in Black Mesa?""What's the big deal? Benrey, you spit blue balls in my face all the time.""That's blue, it's not pink."--Gordon gets hit with the Sweet Voice equivalent of a temporary love potion, but things work out in the end.
Relationships: Benrey/Gordon Freeman
Comments: 11
Kudos: 439





	Lovebombed

They’re on the couch in Gordon’s apartment watching National Treasure - Gordon actually agreed to have him over to watch a movie _don’t fuck this one up Benrey_ \- when Benrey opens his big stupid mouth like always.

“Hey uhhh wanna kiss?” Nicholas Cage’s face on the tv judging him, god, there goes his chance to get Gordon to like him. Human courtship is complicated as fuck and trying to strike the balance between sounding like he’s joking around or overdoing it and coming on too strong makes Benrey’s head hurt. Tommy helped by explaining things like ‘boundaries’ and the esoteric concepts of ‘1st base’ up to ‘home base’, but it’s still hard and it’s even harder cos he wants Gordon to like him so bad.

The silence stretches for a few moments while Benrey locks his teeth together to stop from either saying anything else or letting out a monotone _aaaaaaaaaa_. 

Gordon leans back on his elbow to study Benrey’s face and Benrey stares back, unblinking. Gordon smiles maybe the tiniest bit. “Yeah, sure. See, asking first isn’t hard.”

Oof ow, yeah okay, the surprise cheek kisses before were a stupid and bad idea. But! Gordon kiss Benrey canon? Permission granted?? Kissing pass presented?! Benrey’s thoughts are one big keysmash right now and he swallows down whatever colour of Sweet Voice he might spit out. No sliming Gordon’s face on the first date. Is it a date? Kissing means it’s a date now right?

Benrey curls his fingers up nervously, claws digging in a little to the soft of his palms. He leans his shoulder against Gordon’s, and turns in his seat to face him properly. Shoulder contact achieved. Next step. Benrey puts his palm on Gordon’s cheek to hold him steady - _ooh, stubble, fuzzy little Gordon Freeman haha, don’t get distracted by his beard and stubble, Benrey, if you do this right you can touch faces again maybe_ \- and leans in and gives Gordon the briefest press of lips together.

It’s too brief but it’s nice. Beard’s kind of funny and scratchy but Gordon has soft lips for a nerd. Benrey is caught by surprise when Gordon kisses him back, close mouthed and tentative. A mass of feelings - good, warm feelings - wells up in Benrey and it’s too much to swallow and he doesn’t want to get it on Gordon’s face (no sliming Gordon’s face on the first date) so he turns his head to the side and sings out a stream of Sweet Voice.

It hangs bright pink in the air and oh no. Damn he _is_ in deep for this nerd. Good thing he turned away cos if Gordon got that in the face he’d be a loved up mess for like half an hour and the guy probably doesn’t like him _that_ much. No good for ‘boundaries’. Benrey wants Gordon to like him but not fake. Real like. Real love, he thinks, and feels himself go hot in the face.

Benrey’s very in his feelings and very very distracted thank you very much and that’s how he doesn’t notice Gordon reaching out and popping one of the pink bubbles.

It’s only tracking the motion of Gordon moving his hand back with it covered in pink stuff that gets Benrey to look back at him.

“No, wait!!” Benrey squawks, reaching to grab Gordon’s wrist but Gordon’s too fast and sticks a finger in his mouth, tasting the residue the Sweet Voice left on his fingers. "Nasty, nasty man, Gordon Nastyman shouldn't put that in his mouth. You lick up random stuff all the time, bro? Taste testing the walls in Black Mesa?"

"What's the big deal? Benrey, you spit blue balls in my face all the time."

"That's blue, it's not _pink_."

"Uh huh. What does it do that's so bad? If it's poison you should have warned me before I did it."

"Whu? Why do I gotta... It's not poison, it's just embarrassing. You won't like it, I'm telling you."

Gordon is looking at him in a soft way that makes his heart speed up. 

"How about try me."

"No see that's it already." Benrey contemplates noclipping away from the couch and from Gordon and from the tv displaying Nicholas Cage's dead-eyed face. "Tryna, I'm tryna be _nice_ and save you the embarrassment later."

Gordon's expression is fond and soppy, melty even, and he has a faint blush. He puts a hand on top of Benrey's and Benrey freezes up. "That's surprisingly nice of you. Saving me the embarrassment."

"I'm always - eugh, look. You got lovebombed with the pink Voice stuff and you're gonna be crushing out of your mind on me for the next coupla minutes. Not much so probably like five or something."

"Doesn't sound so bad," Gordon says and leans against Benrey's shoulder, looping a hand around his arm to cuddle against it.

"You say that now but you'll be kicking yourself when it wears off." Benrey stares away from Gordon, aware that he's blushing heavily. Stupid cuddly Freeman. "Don't even like me that much."

"I like you plenty. So long as you're not like getting my arm cut off or insisting on being some goddamn giant fucking boss battle and nearly squashing me and everyone else to death."

"Said I was sorry," Benrey mumbles.

"Yeah. Can't believe I believe you. You're just lucky I wasn't left with anything except lingering psychological trauma." Jesus, even loved up Gordon is kind of prickly. It's weirdly real to how Benrey imagined. Like, yeah, he did some shit but it would be amazing if Gordon liked him anyway. Mortifying ordeal blah blah. "You're kind of growing on me now though."

Benrey almost says "really?" but then remembers it's the Sweet Voice making Gordon say that so it's fake as shit. He grumbles to himself and commits the feeling of Gordon cuddling up to him to memory. It's kind of pathetic but it's probably as close as he's going to get. Gordon will be mad at him for using the Sweet Voice to convince Gordon he has a crush even though it's an _accident,_ and that's it, Benrey fucked up the date night, no playing again to perfect his run, chances with cute nerd man with the hot ass totally blown forever.

"Hey. Benrey. Look at me." Benrey can't bring himself to ignore Gordon so he looks back at him. Gordon has an intense look in his eyes. "Whatever the fuck you're thinking I _do_ like you."

"'S just the Sweet Voice, bro."

"Oh my fucking god. I'm trying to tell you before it wears off and I lose my courage again. I actually do like you, you dumbass."

"Suuuure."

Gordon uses his free hand to massage the crease between his brows, looking frustrated. Benrey can't help noticing his _adorable pout_.

"You're. You are impossible." Gordon buries his face in Benrey's chest, any other expressions obscured by the fabric of Benrey's hoodie. He doesn't do anything else, he just stays there. Benrey puts an arm around him because he might as well get in a last minute of Gordon cuddles.

Gordon abruptly sits up straight again. His face is blazing red. "OhmygodIactuallysaidthat."

"Told you so."

"Shut up. Uh. Sorry I'm. A bit overwhelmed!" 

Benrey moves his arm so Gordon can have some space. He couldn't deal with it if Gordon shoved him away. Make it easy for nerd man to escape and maybe he'll come back. As if.

"Hey, hey Benrey? Can you do that thing with the pink balls again?"

"Wha…?"

Benrey needs a second to catch up to what Gordon said.

"Don't fuck with me man, it's not _funny_." He's suddenly mad because yeah he DOES have real feelings for Gordon, and what the hell does he think he's asking? Is he mocking Benrey? Is that what he's doing? Mocking the poor dumb alien with a crush who doesn't know how human courtship works?

"I'm NOT." Gordon tugs at his own hair, scowling back at Benrey, his face still red. "I like you, you idiot, but I'm too nervous to say anything."

Benrey blinks at him, mouth open.

"Oh I seriously said that. Out loud." Gordon chews his lower lip. Bashful, right? That's what his expression is right now? It's not a trick? "Yeah. So. I like you. Surprise?"

"Gordon Freeman means it? Gordon likes Benrey, not clickbait?" Benrey doesn't like how small his voice sounds.

"Not clickbait. Don't ask me why. But. I like you." Gordon is looking anywhere but at Benrey. But he reaches out to hold Benrey's hand. "The pink stuff just made it easier to say."

Benrey lets out a stream of giddy yellow Sweet Voice. He can't help it. He ranked up. Gordon likes him and it's _real as fuck_.

"Yellow like a sunflower means he's a happy fellow, right? I learned a bit. Figured if we were going to hang out I should." Gordon has a tiny smile on his face.

"I'm a great cool, everyone likes me. 'N my best bro _like_ likes me." 

Gordon chuckles. "That's right, bud. How about some of those pink balls though because I am _insanely_ self-conscious right now."

It's easy to nod and drum up the happy, love-drenched stream of pink Sweet Voice that he blows at Gordon's face. Benrey updates his understanding of first base. Some slime is okay on a date if he's asked to do it. Benrey's learning. Achievements unlocked: First Base and Hot Science Boyfriend.

Gordon swallows some of the pink and some bursts at the side of his mouth. Benrey watches him lick his lips and sigh after a few moments. He sounds relieved?

"You have no idea how much easier that is." He leans against Benrey and laces their fingers together where they hold hands. He meets Benrey's gaze again and the fondness in his eyes is giddying. "I won't need it once I get over myself. Just for now."

Benrey punches the air with his free hand and lets out a whoop of delight. 

Gordon laughs bright and fond and shakes his head. "God you're such a dork sometimes. It's cute."

"Huh?" Benrey blinks while he processes what Gordon said. Then he grins. "I'm cute? You think I'm cute? Little nerd boy thinks Benrey is cute?"

"Yeah, you're cute and you're fucking insufferable, too." Gordon rolls his eyes and then gets up in Benrey's face. "Come here and kiss me you weirdo."

Benrey pats and strokes Gordon's cheek. Face touches happening. Benrey officially wins at life. Benrey kisses Gordon slow, letting him take the lead. He tastes like artificial strawberry flavour, like the pink Sweet Voice, and it's so gentle it's almost confusing. He's not used to it. It's strange but nice. Benrey makes a low rumbling purring noise and doesn't stop until Gordon breaks the kiss.

Gordon looks kind of dazed and he has a goofy smile on his face, the corners of his mouth a bright pink like a particularly messy lipstick smear. Kiss marks that Benrey left on him. "Wow," he says.

"Wow," Benrey echoes, and pulls Gordon in for a cuddle. Boyfriend time.


End file.
